Various embodiments described herein relate to computer software, and in particular to systems and methods for computer software development.
Businesses are continuously seeking to generate new ideas for products and services. These may include ideas for new products and services as well as new ideas for existing products and services. The generation of new ideas for products and services can be thought of as a problem solving exercise. For example, the generation of new ideas for products and services can be cast as the problem of how to improve existing products and services.
Businesses have developed formalized approaches for solving problems. For example, one simplistic formal process for problem solving is brainstorming. However, more complex problem solving techniques have been developed. For example, the SCAMPER technique can be used to generate creative ideas for developing new products or improving existing products. SCAMPER is an acronym that stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate and Reverse. Each of these verbs is a prompt that encourages the participant to ask questions about existing products through a structured process. “Substitute” prompts the participant to identify a product or feature that can be substituted for an existing product or feature. “Combine” prompts the participant to combine one product or feature with another product or feature. “Adapt” prompts the participant to identify ideas from elsewhere that can be used together with an existing product or feature. “Modify” prompts the participant to think of ways to change an existing product or feature. “Put to other uses” prompts the participant to identify other uses to which the product or feature can be applied. “Eliminate” prompts the participant to remove ideas or elements from the product or feature that are not valuable. “Reverse” prompts the participant to rearrange the order of presentation of products or features.
The process of generating new ideas, such as new ideas for products or services, is commonly referred to as “ideation.” The ideation process can take many forms. It is usually thought of as a spontaneous or serendipitous process. However, some businesses have begun to apply creative problem solving techniques such as SCAMPER to the ideation process itself. To apply the SCAMPER technique to the generation of new product ideas, product or features, a participant may start with an existing product or service and then apply one of the verbs from the list above. For the verb SUBSTITUTE, participants may brainstorm ways in which they could substitute any part of the product or service or for the entire product or service. Participants generate as many ideas as they can and then move on to the next verb.
As an example of how the SCAMPER verbs could be used for innovation, assume that a participant wished to improve the process of making bicycles. The participants could brainstorm substituting carbon fiber for metal in the bicycle frame or they could adapt automobile disk brakes for use in bicycles. The substitution or adaptation may represent an incremental innovation which improves the functionality of an existing part or a radical innovation that removes an existing part entirely in favor of a substitute.
There are numerous examples of businesses innovating through the SCAMPER techniques of substitution, adaptation, combination, etc. For example, mobile phones have been combined with cameras and MP3 players. Roll-on deodorant packages were adapted from ballpoint pen designs. Restaurants have eliminated table side service to reduce costs. Furniture manufacturers have modified furniture to make it capable of assembly by the consumer. The SCAMPER technique formalizes this process to encourage product and service innovation.
Even with the development of formal approaches, however, the process of ideation remains a human-centric activity which takes significant time and effort to produce results.